PART of Nelson town centre was cordoned off by the police yesterday afternoon when a suspicious piece of luggage was discovered on a train stopped at the station.

Local traffic and foot patrol officers temporarily sealed off the Station Road area at around 1.30pm and diverted traffic around Nelson Bus Station.

Inspector Paul Robinson said: "It would appear that a travelling member of public on a train which stopped at Nelson expressed some concern about an unattended item of luggage on the train.

"The British Transport Police were not immediately able to find someone who claimed ownership of it so as a precautionary measure they asked for a recognised cordon to be put in place around the station.

"We temporarily closed the police station and put diversions around the car stack and railway station and asked the people in the shops in Station Road to close the premises temporarily and make their way in to the town centre."

The owner of the bag was found and the area was reopened at 2.50pm.